Missing Scene Challenge My Two Dads
by jonsmom14
Summary: These are two missing scenes written for the epi "My Two Dads" in a challenge on LJ
1. Chapter 1

Ryan walked into the elegant offices of New Match and looked around for his mother

Ryan walked into the elegant offices of New Match and looked around for his mother. He smiled at Julie, who was on the phone in a glass-walled conference room and then he spotted the familiar blond head at her desk, leaning over some paperwork. Ryan couldn't help but smile. Since Marissa's death he had learned to take a special pleasure in every moment and memory with his new family.

Ryan stood in the doorway for a moment watching the lights in her office play on his mother's blond locks. She was so different from Dawn. Yes, the two women were both alcoholics, but Kirsten had gotten help and pulled her life together. Now here she was the co-owner of a successful company. Kirsten oozed sophistication and grace. Dawn had gotten rid of her family before she had given up the booze. Kirsten was the glue that held the Cohen family together, and Ryan was thankful every day that she had asked him to stay with them three years ago.

Just then, Kirsten felt his presence and looked up. Her face lit up with joy when she saw him. It always made Ryan feel so loved when she did that.

"Ryan! Come in Honey. How was your day?" Kirsten asked as she rounded her desk so that she could hug him.

Ryan returned the embrace and then Kirsten led him over to the couch against the wall. Once they were both seated, Kirsten took his hand in her own. Ryan could tell that she was nervous about something, but he would bide his time and let her tell him at her own pace.

"It was fine." Ryan shrugged. "I just got off work."

Kirsten smiled and nodded before she glanced down at the floor and took a deep breath. "Ryan I asked you to come by because I needed to tell you something about your father."

Alarmed by her tone of voice, Ryan's hand gripped Kirsten's a little tighter. "What's wrong? Is Sandy sick or something?"

Kirsten stared at Ryan strangely for a moment before a smile lit up her face and she spontaneously hugged him. Ryan was too startled to return the hug, and Kirsten had pulled back before he had a chance to embrace her.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Kirsten asked.

"Um, I love you too?" Ryan replied tentatively, unsure of what was going on.

"Ryan, sweetie I wasn't talking about Sandy. I was talking about Frank." Kirsten explained.

"Oh." Ryan mumbled, his body tensing up at just the thought of the man who had contributed DNA. "What about him?"

Kirsten sighed and took Ryan's hand again. "Sweetie, I don't know how to tell you this, but the reason that Frank is so anxious to see you is that he's dying. He has cancer Ryan."

Ryan didn't know what to think. If this was coming from Frank, he wouldn't have believed it, but with Kirsten telling him then Ryan figured that it was probably true. "How long does he have?" Ryan asked softly.

"I'm not sure of the details. I just wanted to talk to you because I think you ought to meet with him." Kirsten told him.

Ryan raised his blue eyes to meet hers. "Really? You think I should?" He asked. The thought of seeing Frank again made him uncomfortable. He could still remember the beatings that he had received before Frank when to jail.

"I don't want you to have any regrets." Kirsten informed him.

Ryan sighed. He had been making a point of not taking his family for granted. He supposed that still included the Atwood's. "Alright, I'll meet him." He agreed.

Kirsten smiled happily. "I don't think you'll regret it." She told him as she stood and made her way to her desk. "Why don't I call him and we can all meet at the pier? Then maybe the two of you could have coffee or something and talk."

"That's fine." Ryan replied taking a deep breath. He had hoped to have a little more time before this came up again. He knew that he was far from comfortable with the idea of seeing Frank Atwood again.

Ryan still remembered the night that he got his arm dislocated. Frank had been drunk when he came home from school that day. Ryan was drinking a cup of water when Dawn came in and slammed the door. It startled the small six-year-old so much that the cup slipped out of his hand and water splattered across the floor.

Frank had come rampaging around the breakfast bar that separated the living room and kitchen in their small rental house. He took off his belt and then grabbed Ryan by the arm and wrenched him around to beat him when Ryan felt a sickening pain shoot through his shoulder and screamed. He blacked out a moment from the pain. When he realized what was happening, he was already covered in welts through his shirt and Frank was putting his belt back on and shouting for him to clean up the mess.

Fortunately Dawn was still sober that day and she took him to the clinic to get his arm fixed. The small local clinic was the type to turn their heads – or at least the doctor had been after Dawn showed him her appreciation. Ryan had stood outside the door with his shoulder in a brace while he listened to the moans coming from the exam room his mother and the doctor were still occupying.

"Ryan?"

Kirsten's voice brought Ryan out of his musings. She smiled at him uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

Ryan took a deep breath and pasted a smile on his face. "Yeah, just thinking. What did he say?"

"He'll meet us in twenty minutes. We can drive separately so that I can give you two some privacy to talk." Kirsten informed him as she reached into a drawer of her desk and retrieved her purse. She didn't see the wince that crossed Ryan's face at the thought of spending time alone with Frank.

Taking out her keys, Kirsten smiled at her son and slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow. "Ready?"

"Sure." Ryan replied as they both headed for the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

After talking to Sandy, Ryan made his way out to the pool house

After talking to Sandy, Ryan made his way out to the pool house. He couldn't help but wish Seth was there. A lot had happened that night and he was having a hard time wrapping his head around it. He couldn't deny that the anger he had seen earlier on Frank's face had brought back some bad memories.

Ryan was sitting on his bed staring at the wall when there was a quick knock on the door and Kirsten stuck her head in.

"Hey, can we talk?" She asked hesitantly.

Curious, Ryan nodded. He was surprised that instead of sitting in the chair in the corner, Kirsten crossed the room to sit next to him on the bed. She sat with her elbows on her knees and her hands folded in front of her. She stared down at her hands for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking up into Ryan's blue eyes.

"I need to apologize to you." Kirsten declared.

Ryan stared back at her, his confusion evident on his face.

Kirsten sighed heavily. "You don't even know why, do you?"

Ryan shook his head negatively.

"When Frank first came to us with the story that he was dying, I didn't even question whether or not he was lying. I just believed it right away. He seemed so convincing." Kirsten explained.

"He's good at lying Kirsten it's not your fault." Ryan assured her.

Kirsten grimaced. "Sandy thought he was lying the moment he heard it. He didn't want to say anything until he checked to make sure that the story was true. But I was afraid that you would be angry if we kept it from you. So I insisted that Sandy let me talk to you about meeting your father."

Ryan winced. "Sandy is my dad. Frank is just – Frank." He corrected her.

Kirsten smiled lovingly and patted his arm. "I'm sure Sandy would love to hear that."

Ryan shrugged. "I told him earlier in the kitchen." He turned to look at Kirsten. "It's not your fault you believed Frank. I believed him too. I know that you wanted me to meet with Frank."

"Yes, I did. Oh, not at first. When Julie told me who Frank was, I wanted to keep him as far away from you as possible. I know that he was – well I know that he made life difficult for you and your mother." Kirsten informed him. "But then when he said he was dying, all I could think about was that my last words to my father were in anger. I didn't want you to have the same regrets that I did."

Ryan reached over and took Kirsten's hand in his own. "Your dad loved you Kirsten. He wasn't kind or demonstrative like Sandy, but he did love you." Ryan smirked. "He even did his best to protect you from me."

Kirsten wrapped her arms around her son. "I would never need protection from you. Maybe I should have been a little more like Dad. He would never have let Frank near you without checking him out first. That's what I need to apologize for. I'm supposed to protect you."

"It's ok Kirsten. You couldn't have known." Ryan assured her. "Besides, it's not like I'm exactly helpless." He shrugged.

"There is one way that I don't want to be like my dad was." Kirsten began as she smiled tenderly at her son.

Ryan looked at her questioningly.

"I don't ever want you to wonder how much I love you. I may not have given birth to you Ryan, but you are my son in every other way. I don't ever want you to doubt that alright?" Kirsten stated, holding her palm to his cheek.

Ryan's eyes glistened and he smiled shyly. "I love you too. You will always be my Mom."

Kirsten sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. "I didn't really mean for this to become a sob-fest. I don't know why I've been so emotional lately." She chuckled and glanced back up at him.

Ryan was watching her. His eyes were full of love and not a little awe. Kirsten was reminded of when Dawn commented on how her family looked at her, and that even Ryan looked at her like she could fix anything. For the first time she saw what the other woman was talking about. Kirsten had made so many mistakes in the last couple of years. It still tore at her that she had been so cruel to him during the intervention.

"You are such a good and strong man Ryan. I'm so proud of you." Kirsten whispered.

Ryan's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment.

"You've been through so much in your life, and even though it was supposed to be better here, you've had to strive to survive here as well." Kirsten explained.

Ryan shrugged and leaned against his mother, placing his head on top of her head. "There was a difference here though. I wasn't alone. I knew that you and Sandy were here if I needed you."

Kirsten hugged him to her. "We will always be here if you need us."

They sat in silence for a moment just holding each other. The two quieter members of the family didn't necessarily need words to convey their feelings.

"You know, Meerkat Manor is on television tonight." Kirsten mentioned casually.

Ryan lifted his head from hers and looked down at her mischievously. "Why would I care about that? Aren't they just a bunch of rodents?"

Kirsten narrowed her eyes and stood up. She placed her hands on her hips and glared down at her son. "I'm declaring a family night. So you are going to march right into that living room and you are going to watch those really cute 'rodents' as you call them."

Ryan smiled and dipped his head. "Yes ma'am." He replied obediently as he stood and started towards the door. He stopped so suddenly that Kirsten crashed into his back. "Wait! Seth isn't here. We can't have a family night." He grinned in triumph.

"Your father and I are here. With you that makes just enough for family night – now march!" Kirsten ordered, her eyes flashing with mirth.

Ryan mock saluted her. "Ma'am! Yes ma'am!" He barked before allowing her to take his hand and lead him back into the house for a Cohen family night.


End file.
